Anyone can make jewelry, you don't have to go to school. For the cleverest designs, you just have to think outside the box!

September 24, 2015

For us as artists, nothing could be truer.....if we don't look at things from a new angle, we will stay in the same old rut and never grow. Our work will become stale and ordinary.

That does NOT mean, however, that we cannot stay true to our roots. My style roots are in vintage jewelry and always will be. I'm not a big repurposer, I prefer to let the old pieces alone unless there just is no other hope for them, then yes, I'll cabbage a component and use it.

More than anything, however, I love to take the brass stampings and vintage jewelry supplies we offer at B'sue Boutiques and see what new thing I can do with them. I prefer to take today's techniques, mix them with the old, tried and true....and see what design I can create that is true to me and true to my first love....vintage jewelry.

For this hop we were to use at least one of the components in this collage:

I chose two of them, the leafy swag top left, and the pretty heart at top bottom.

I determined that I wanted to do a little beading on wire with my designs, and I made three, each one a little harder than the one before.

My first is this one.....

As you can see the heart is encased in filigree to build a back for it, as it is a hollow piece. I have been doing this for awhile.....my first was ten years ago....here is a patina piece:

I turn it SIDEWAYS and then begin to bend it across the heart until it lines up just right, then tamp down the front with flat nose pliers.

Generally I patina first, but in the case of paints, I put the heart together first, and this case I used Krylon cream spray paint, let dry, then light mist of Amber Sea Glass Krylon until I got just the shade of pinkish brown that I wanted. Since I would be working with light chocolate pearls and creme baroque pearls, I thought that would be a good mix.

And it includes that lovely little German filigree cat, they came in JUST in time for my project. The German filigree is amazing and comes in in this rich chocolate patina, which is aged brass. Find that kitty here:

I used some dark, bronzey chainmaille chain I had gotten from a vintage buy. It is very inspiring!

The pearl drop is attributed to old Miriam Haskell stock.

And here is the back:

Going on, I challenged myself to embellish the next piece with tapestry beaded leaves:

This is much in the old Haskell style, not that I imagine myself to be an ace at working in that vein.....but I intend to perfect this technique and will continue to work on it and share it with you. More photos:

The key is to use fine wire...I used 28 gauge copper base gold plated wire....and to try to work tight so as little as possible shows.

I still need work, but I am not ashamed of this.

I did attach the leaves and other components with glue. Being true to form I would have determined placement before positioning, and drilled out the heart base so that it would be wired into place instead.

I will challenge myself to do that soon! This time, I had to get done....and to be sure, glue is quite secure so long as you have a solid technique and are not messy about it.

More pix:

I made a small pair of drops to go with the piece, which I will probably put up for sale soon. A pair of earrings, just simple ones, helps to sell a piece.

The back is the same as the previous piece. No I have not signed these yet. I will engrave my maker's mark on a tiny brass blank and antique it, then lacquer it....and glue it on the back.

THEN, I cut apart the leafy stamping and applying it to the sides of the blank, I centered the piece with the heart. The heart is topped with the central leaf from the swag.

Everything in this case was painted first, except the back..I will explain that later:

Then I tapestry beaded around the sides of the heart with seed beads and firepolished beads in shades of pink, adding bits of fine vintage pearl chain which were glued in place. A small ornament that was tapestry beaded was added, wired in place. Then bit by bit I added the other embellishments, including the rose montees.

Being true to form all the montees would be wired on, but E6000 glue is very secure and so long as one is neat is just as sturdy, so because of time I went with glue. One day soon I will challenge myself to take time for the wire and perfect the technique.

As you can see, this one has matching earrings, too.

The back was a quandary. I spray painted it with my same colors for the rest of this body of work to try and hide the bit of wire, it's okay but I need to think about this.....there was no way to do what I wanted to do without wrapping the wire around. Perhaps a better idea would be to do low profile seed beads around the back.

It's hard to see my engraved signature so I will re-do that and add a plaque.

On this one, I may procure some ultrasuede and just cover it.....I'll ruminate on that. All in all, this is very comfortable to wear and I love how it falls. I will probably sell it.

I very much enjoyed this excersize which will, hopefully, open a determined new door for me, one I have gone through in the past but a journey not completely taken. As I find new and better ways to embellish brass pieces in this style I will share the findings with you via blog posts, posts at the B'sue Boutiques Creative Group and in my You Tube free instruction videos, which you can access here:

As always our website is B'sue Boutiques where you will find the good stuff for making jewelry in the vintage style, many brass stampings and vintage jewelry supplies for mixed media jewelry making!

If you are new to our site, use code NEWTOBSUE in the coupon box and get 5.00 off a small 30.00 order as well as a little welcome gift! Most folks who come see us love the site and come again! We hope you will.

If you are not new to B'sue, you should know we have been restocking like mad all week! If you need a bulk order be sure to take advantage of the TAKE20 code which will be good the rest of this week. It will give you 20% off an order 150.00 up and on TOP of that you will also get the standard 10% automatic discount for over 100 and FREE US SHIPPING too! AND.....substantial free gifts this week, as we celebrate our blog hop.

OKAY.....enough of that and of me! MANY OTHERS are participating and want you to come and visit their posts! Will you take time for that, possibly leaving them some encouraging words about their work? We'd sure appreciate that, and we ALL thank you for coming!

August 18, 2015

MANY THANKS to Lynda O'Mara, B'sue Boutiques Design Team Member, and owner of Lomara Internet Solutions. Lynda designed this darling blog badge for me as well as procured legal rights for us to use it to advertise our hop (whoops, thought I had that covered, but that's why I hired Lynda to do all these website and marketing things for B'sue Boutiques----she has the inside scoop and is so good at what she does!)

We'd love for you to participate in the hop. All the details are in this post:

ALSO: the deadline for signing up is extended til this SUNDAY, August 23rd. At this time we've had a nice bunch come forward to participate but for us to really have a great hop I feel we need more. Have you been on the fence? Oh come on....go for it. If you haven't been busy making jewelry for a bit, here is a great opportunity to open up a new window and begin a new body of work.

Just as a journey of a thousand miles begins with ONE STEP: A new body of work starts with ONE PIECE.

All you are required to do for this hop.... is ONE PIECE.

If you are a little stymied about blogging and wonder why it's important, Tammy Adams has written a great series of articles about the process on her blog:

August 09, 2015

All of us, or most of us, tend to have workspaces, sometimes numerous ones! where work is being accomplished but there's also a lot of wheel-spinning happening, as well.

We want to discipline ourselves but we need a solid creative nudge...or kick in the pants.

Over a year ago, Judy Jones King came in the cyber door at the B'sue Boutiques Creative Group and said, hey, there seems to be a lot of goofing around in here....or something to that effect. All said in good humor, whatever it was, I assure you.

But the next thing was, grab your camera, share what's on your work table! We had a ton of group participation and EVERYONE loved it.

That was the FIRST Work Table Wednesday.

Soon after that, Marcia Tuzzolino and Judy seemed to simultaneously---if I can recall properly!--come up with the idea that SOMETHING on that table ought to be done and finished and ready to sell by Friday.

And so was born FINISHED UP FRIDAY, or as we affectionately call it, FUF.

There you go!

For nearly a year Marcia and Judy alternately sponsored a monthly prize for FUF. They'd count the names of the participants who had submitted photos to our FUF Pinterest board within that month, do the number generator thing and award a 25.00 gift certificate to one of their peers.

Eventually we extended the deadline to Saturday and pix could be loaded either by Friday or Saturday, and had to be dated. It was only fair; some of our peeps have day jobs or kids to tend or caregiving jobs to do. So an extra day made sense.

For a FULL YEAR Marcia and Judy did this, giving this gift from their own pockets and then we concentrated on the weekly giftie for Work Table Wednesday, which I was always responsible for....and here and there I'd randomly give one for FUF.

Well here is an announcement:

I'd like to see FUF pick up and have a few more pinners/participants. I love to showcase the beautiful work done with products from B'sue Boutiques and call out the designers' shops if I know their name. Whatever I can do to help promote YOU and YOUR work with our goods, I want very much to do.

SO....FIRST. CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE:

Marcia and Judy, just as an acknowledgement of your contributions, I have a 25.00 free gift pass for each of you. I will send you both a code. PLEASE ENJOY. It's not enough to pay you back for all you have done for this group, but it's an acknowledgment of the fine work you have done for us. (Marcia and Judy are also members of the B'sue Boutiques Design Team)

SECOND.....This week is the first week of WEEKLY GIFTIES for participation in the FUF arrangement. I counted our participants this week and the winner is BEV SEDY.

Bev, I will be sending you a personally chosen and gift-wrapped GIFTIE from B'sue to you. something I know you will love!

On Fridays and Saturdays, show us things you have finished up that week, preferably from your messy Work Table Wednesday tables.

All items pinned must include at least a few visible items from B'sue Boutiques but it can be any sort of mixed media style jewelry, beadwork, metalwork, assemblage, etc that you like.

Many have said that even though it's not possible for everyone to submit something every week (although I think we have a few who have, I believe Harry Wood has!) the FUF challenge gives them impetus and a desire to get good quality projects done and then, loaded to their Etsy and other artisan shops.

Many times it pays off right away in a quick sale!

And now, it will pay off with a weekly GIFTIE from B'sue. BE SURE you date your pinned photos! I can only include pinned photos!

August 05, 2015

One of my pals sent me this photo a few days ago----or maybe I saw it on HER page....but!

As I was preparing to write to you about the upcoming blog hop, I just really couldn't help myself. No image I had on file seemed to embody the idea of the hop like this one does.....CHANGING IT UP! Turn it this way and that, turn it inside out. Challenge yourself to go "Star Trek" on your design....in other words:

Boldly go where no one has gone before!

First, let's talk about the premise of the hop.

As you know, every month the B'sue Boutiques Creative Group has a group challenge with a theme. This group is sponsored by B'sue Boutiques Vintage Jewelry Supplies. We do a lot of assemblage and mixed media jewelry making there. The members really are great to hang out with and we see a lot of really unique handmade jewelry.

The challenge themes have been worked out ahead of time by what I'm starting to think of as the "California Crew"....Marcia Tuzzolino, Irene Hoffman and Jann Tague. All are members of the B'sue Boutiques Design Team.

Just about every week, they get together to try a new craft technique. Most of the time they work with products from B'sue Boutiques and they come up with lots of great new ideas. One week they carefully planned a whole years' worth of challenges for us. THIS WAS GREAT! I keep it pinned to my bulletin board so I can have a look and make sure we're stocked with great stuff that will work for the challenges.

SEPTEMBER'S CHALLENGE is Vintage Flair. You will create a statement piece with a vintage feeling, but driven by fashion trends. That means, get out those fashion magazines and have a look at what's being done, what colors are being used, the flow of garments for the season. (CLUE: Right now you will see A LOT of Boho, Retro, Hippie Chic and 60's style looks reminiscent of that time period)

If you want you can join that challenge and stick with that, pin your design to the Pinterest Board:

Using the Vintage Flair idea along with ONE or more of these following findings:

You will do the Vintage Flair challenge but you will CHANGE IT UP.

These elements are used A LOT by members of our group as well as many in the design world who love working with brass stampings. They tend to be used in a certain way....

The crescent is always a necklace. It STILL COULD BE. But how could you make yours very different?

The tie is generally a pendant. IT STILL COULD BE....but how could you reflect the spirit of the Vintage Flair Challenge and make yours VERY UNIQUE?

A heart is a heart is a heart, right? Doesn't HAVE to be. You could deconstruct this, mount it to a unique cuff, colorize it a very different way, drill it and wire it. MAKE IT YOUR OWN.

Lastly, we have that lovely Victorian-type cuff flat. Usually people bend them and make them into cuffs, I do, too! But what could you do with it that outside of the box? How many times could you cut it and file it and how many pieces of jewelry could you get from this one piece?

Look at it like a puzzle! But DON'T be puzzled by it! Put on that thinking cap and see what you can come up with. Excersizes like this are invaluable to artisans, because normally somewhere along the path, they encounter a whole new doorway. It could lead to a new line for you, or even, a new skill.

To participate in the hop, you need to be a member of the Creative Group

If you aren't already, here's your cue to come and join us!

Then: between August 11 and August 16 we will have sign ups.

TO SIGN UP: you will send me, Brenda Sue Lansdowne, BY PRIVATE MESSAGE at FACEBOOK your name and the URL for your blog. This means your blog needs to be up, ready and in working order by this weekend, and you need to have written in it and posted to make sure it's working right.

So again.....PRIVATE MESSAGE ME AT FACEBOOK and send

1. Your name

2. the name of your blog

3. the COMPLETE URL including the http:// part I need that to get the list to click for the hop and I'd like to be able to copy and paste so please do not fail to do this.

This is a complete URL http://www.bsueboutiques.com

This is NOT: www.bsueboutiques.com or bsueboutiques.com

4. Get your parts, we have plenty at the site and my guess is you already have one of these in your stash, so many of us do! Gather your materials and START YOUR CREATIVE ENGINES!

NO! not like THAT!

You know what I mean.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 is the CHANGE IT UP blog hop day. NONE of your designs for this hop should be revealed to ANYONE before that day!

Be sure that you are ready with your blog post. I usually tell folks, post late the night before or early-early the morning of. People want to start reading with morning coffee so don't be late!

I will get someone to make us a blog badge and will post it soon as I would appreciate all the shout outs we can get for this effort. You can put the badge on your pages and your blogs. Tell your creative pals. I am not limiting participation in this, it's just one hop, not a series and not a class.

THERE WILL BE TWO PRIZES.....one 25.00 gift shopping pass to B'sue Boutiques drawn randomly from among the participants....

And one JUDGED prize for a 75.00 gift shopping pass to B'sue Boutiques. The Design Team and myself will pick the winner of that one and announce it by the following weekend. I will also add the winners' pictures to the Gallery of Inspiration

There may be some other surprises along the way....so by all means, come join the Creative Group and STAY TUNED!

SO! Let's go for it! And leave me a comment will ya? I'd love a little dialogue. Sometimes I wonder if anyone is reading.....LOL

July 16, 2015

Now, for every dollar you spend at B'sue Boutiques Vintage Jewelry Supplies website, you get a credit that will add up to a cash reward!

I will try and explain how it works as simply as possible:

First, the site automatically gives you ONE POINT for every dollar spent. This automatically goes into your customer account.

You can easily track the points by logging into your account at B'sue Boutiques and then go to the bottom of your account dashboard where it says MY REWARDS.

You'll see, when you click on it to view it, that it says

Available points

Pending points

Next to available points, it will tell you what is accessible to you RIGHT NOW.

In pending, it will show you points perhaps on a recent order, that have not quite cleared into your account, but WILL, as soon as your order is shipped and marked COMPLETE.

Don't be 'thrown' by the little box that says 500 with the REDEEM NOW button next to it. This is just a little reminder that you must have accrued 500 points to cash in and get a reward (which will be money off your next order!)

So again, ONE DOLLAR SPENT = ONE POINT. You can't cash them out til you reach 500. But at that time, your 500 points are worth a 25.00 cash reward, which will be money taken off your order!

Here is a screenshot of instructions on how to cash out your points when you have enough:

We were still working on it a little last night....the first highlighted field should say IMMEDIATELY as soon as the points become available (last order marked shipped/complete by us). And again, one dollar = one point.

You don't HAVE to cash them out at 500, either. THESE POINTS DO NOT EXPIRE. You can let them build, if you like. For example, 1,000 points would get you a 50.00 cash reward!

Also, if you have over 500 you don't have to use them all at once, if you don't want to.

Points accrue on the SUBTOTAL of your order. This is after savings coupons come off, and shipping fees do not count for points, either. So for example....let's say your order was 100.00

The site would give you 10% off, which is about 10.00

Let's say you added on the FIVEBUCKS coupon for being over fifty. (You may add ONE coupon on any standard order).

That's another 5.00

Should bring your SUBTOTAL to 85.00 spent. This means you'd get 85 points on that order!

Points accrue only on full dollars and they don't round up. So if say, your subtotal was 85.65, your points would still be 85.

Remember your points don't appear as available until your order is marked shipped/complete on this end, which is usually 1-3 days.

YOUR POINTS DO NOT EXPIRE.

To get the points.....be SURE to go to your MY REWARDS and CASH THEM OUT .....***before*** you put anything in your cart and begin shopping, if you want to use them.

Once you cash out, they will come off the NEXT order you place. You don't have to enter a code or anything. They will just queue up in your account ONCE YOU CASH THEM OUT.....and they will automatically come off the next order in the amount they are worth.

SO just log in to your account and begin watching for those points to build up. When you hit 500 or more, click the REDEEM NOW button, when you are ready to use them. Then they will go on the VERY NEXT order you place.

Remember, you are the one who must track them and you are the one who must cash them out. We can't do that for you.

NOTE: if your order is large enough to get a 10% site volume discount and free US shipping, you'll get that even when you use the cash gift reward. You would also qualify for any FREE STUFF or free promotional item for orders of a certain size, too.

BUT: we cannot honor coupons stacked on with gift rewards.

And, the amount of cash reward on your order will come off just like a coupon does, so it does not apply toward more points.

The MY REWARDS program simply replaces the very large giveaways we have been doing for quite sometime for weekly customers. We will have a small, fun giveaway via random drawing for customers at the site most weeks (that's always announced in the Sunday newsletter and at the B'sue Boutiques Creative Group), and on special occasions we may have a large one---or! we might even multiply the value of the points on your orders for a special day or period of time.

You can take advantage of all our special deals, sales, coupons and discounts all the way down the line as you also continue earning cash reward points on your order subtotal!

EVERYONE gets a present! No matter how large or small their order is. It may not come wrapped up in a random box like this....

But EVERYONE who shops with us will eventually amass enough credits to get something special, something they can CHOOSE for THEMSELVES, according to their own needs. This is far better than awarding one customer a week the whole MOTHERLODE! ....and then maybe, the stuff we chose they already have a lot of or it's stuff they really don't want or need......and only ONE customer that week getting ALL of it...

This program allows us to reward and **thank** EVERYONE for choosing B'sue Boutiques as their source for highest quality jewelry findings, vintage jewelry supplies, and goods to make mixed media jewelry.

As always THANK YOU SO MUCH for choosing us.

We treasure the constant support of so many loyal customers over the many years we have been in business. We just want to make it better and better for you....to inspire you, support you, and offer you great supplies at excellent prices!

July 07, 2015

The theme for the July Challenge is Beautiful Butterflies, Birds and Bugs.

All jewelry design projects are a challenge, and many begin this way: first playing with components on a work surface, gathering more, trying this, then trying that.

It's even easier when you have a clear idea, a THEME, of what you want to do first. That's why we have our design challenges every month at B'sue Boutiques .....it can provide you with direction, impetus, new and better outside-the-box thinking.

It's also good for me a supplier, since I can check that list and be certain that we have the sorts of things you'll be wanting to go down that path with us!

TO PARTICIPATE: If you are not on the Creative Group, why not join us?

If that's not for you at this time, I'll be posting the themes here on this blog and you may view it as a personal challenge....see what YOU can come up with. Perhaps it will lead to you to a whole new line!

Susan Killam from Killam Creative participated in the BUILD A LINE CHALLENGE last winter, and her design line theme was built around a hummingbird stamping which she named Fancy:

Over the course of a few months (that challenge was a special one, apart from the monthly challenges) she formed a line all around Fancy:

Generally, though, you'll have more impetus as a maker/designer if you join a group who is involved in a similar effort, so my fond hope is that you WILL come and join us at Facebook. Post photos, bounce your ideas off the others, ask questions.

At the end of the month there is a random number generator drawing from among those who participated and pinned their work, and nice gift of goodies from B'sue Boutiques is sent out, wrapped up pretty and made very special.

For this challenge there are not a lot of rules.

Simply create a piece of jewelry---can be anything, earrings, bracelet, necklace, hair jewelry, brooch, or better still a set of jewelry---or for the ambitious, a small line of jewelry like Susan made!

Your piece must feature some goodies from the B'sue Boutiques website but you can mix them in with found items, things you already have, fiber, polymer clay, paper, metal bits, however it works out for you.

Put your heart in it if you can. Dig your heels in and tell yourself, I'm not doing this just to get something done....I'm doing this to find a new path, have a happy accident, discover something about myself or my abilities....GROW.

To get you started, I can't think of anything better than to just offer you a bunch of photos of great pieces created by members of the Group from our Galley of Inspiration that feature butterflies, bugs and birds!

From Judy Jones King of Apt to Wander (and a Design Team Member):

From Cynthia Wainscott, also a Design Team member, featuring a lovely dragonfly:

From Cindy Peterson, of Howling Dog Jewelry at Etsy, a prolific polymer clay and assemblage artist.....she's featured a colorized dragonfly cameo:

Harry Wood made this amazing OWL brooch some time ago, in fact there is even a tutorial on our website on how YOU can make one:

I made the following beetle brooch quite some time ago. It's fun yet the pretty vintage style still holds up nicely! We still carry the beetle stamping as well as many malleable brass flowers that you can form around and about it.

Cuffs will figure big in Fall Fashion, I've read. Here is a beautiful one of layered filigree made by Joan Williams of Lil Ruby at Etsy. What a great idea to cover the cuff with lace first! The butterfly and filigree are still available at B'sue Boutiques

Look closely at Joan's design and you will discover that she has etched the INSIDE of the cuff, too.

Your design can and should blend with other elements to make it pop. For those of us that design to sell, this will get your pieces out there and into collectors' hands sooner!

Look at how Cynthia Wainscott of Exotic Peru (and B'sue Design Team member) has done that with the addition of a little hummingbird charm inside a pie crust bezel surrounded by colorized maple leaves, all from B'sue Boutiques

It's an honor and a responsibility to be a handmade jewelry maker, and our challenges are designed to bring out the best of your abilities while using quality products combined with your own creativity.

They say that jewelry lines can no longer be profitable if made in the US. That is why almost all of the commercial lines we knew as quality are gone from US manufacture. They do not use quality US made product anymore, and the history as well as soul have gone out of them.

They have simply become throw-away jewelry, not jewelry that endures and can be collected, as the vintage lines were.

Our responsibility as handmade artists who design is to show this notion to be false. We use our ingenuity to make something with life and light inside it. Those who choose our jewelry will appreciate the difference between it, and something not grabbed off a rack in the mall.

Our pieces are our hearts and our energy, the best of our constantly-improving techniques. Make your pieces to last, use the GOOD STUFF to craft them, and be clever. There is still a fine market for quality handmade jewelry out there. Start with a great new design, give it everything you've got....

And see where the road takes you. You may surprise yourself this month when you meet the challenge! A new window may open for you!

April 15, 2015

In every group of people, there is a special someone that just brings sunshine every time they step into a room....even if it's a cyber room.

This is our friend, Susan Bowerman......I say ours, instead of mine, because many of us know her and I can't claim her all for my own. So I had to share Susan on my blog today.

I have not known Susan for a long time, but I know a few facts:

She lost her beloved husband on May 13, 2013. From what I recall, I don't believe she expected that loss to happen quite then....so it was an even bigger blow.

She just kept moving.....and working.

Susan has a beautiful yard that needs care....and she does it herself. Evidently this was not the first big dumpster of tree trimmings she filled!

Susan also has a gorgeous, accomplished daughter and a very elegant mother....here are three generations:

I know Susan from the B'sue Boutiques Creative Group where she joined us early on.....the group was opened close to the end of October, 2012...just before I opened our little shop here in East Palestine.

Ever since she came, she's been a constant support and a sharer of new ideas.

Here is Susan at a show:

And here's an awesome wire and beads necklace that she made:

She also made this awesome bracelet using our matte black bookchain:

When I first began to promote the Build a Line Challenge at the Creative Group Susan had her doubts about whether she should try this three month endeavor or not. There is a lot of work to do at home and she does well enough at her shows; she's a great beader and makes awesome statement pieces as you can see.

But she just couldn't put the idea down. Just as she always tends to carry on, she joined us, threw herself into the work, and ended up winning the challenge. She took herself completely outside her current design set and tried something novel, working with products from B'sue Boutiques

During this time, Susan's sister, Sally was quite ill....in fact, in hospice care. Susan visited her often and even entertained her one day with jewelry making. This day they made charm bracelets.

Susan eventually ended up WINNING the grand prize for the BALC challenge:

Awful photo of me, but Lauren refused to model. Believe me, she would have been cuter.

Jordan was intrigued by the Bacon Chocolate bar....

Showing some teeth! LOL

But see what else.....

That note is THE BEST PART.

SO! here I am full of peanuts and chocolate. I'm feeling mighty fine because this very, very special lady.....and very talented artist.....surprised me with this marvelous gift. I had to share it with you.

AND NOW MISS SUSAN....when you get done out there in the yard, come in to the computer and use that 150.00 gift certificate you won, and order yourself up a bunch of B'sue goodies. I want to see what else you do on your "Deck Out That Denim" line of jewelry!

March 31, 2015

The work of finding a winner was as dizzying as Toby the cat with a pearl necklace! Choosing a judged winner of the three month BUILD A LINE challenge was NO easy task!

Build a Line was a master class from B'sue Boutiques. It was all about pulling your look together! The goal was to build a small line of cohesive pieces that would make sense to buyers and sell at realistic prices.

Who are WE, the judges? Well......that would be the members of the B'sue Boutiques Design Team......and me, Brenda Sue Lansdowne, owner of B'sue Boutiques , who led the challenge group.

It took us a lot of hard thought and a good week of consideration, going back to blogs, sometimes reading through a participant's complete set of three AGAIN....and sometimes AGAIN!! analyzing process, thought, look and intent.

Each who carried through all the tasks, gave it their heart and tried their best to work this puzzle was a winner! The vast majority of our participants hit the marks and did a great job.

So as judges, we had to go beyond all of those things and look for a rookie player who worked outside the lines of their usual style. We decided to look for someone who had made incredible progress, as well as hitting all of the other marks.

It was appropriate that ELIZABETH HILDRETH won the RANDOM DRAWING for 75.00, because not only had we considered her line, but she did exactly that.....she went outside of her usual design style and looked for a style that spoke to her, as well as would be viable:

Others who truly hit the marks and made actual collections--beyond just a line, were Leila West of Leila Nicole Designs, and Marica Zammit, of Bead Lovelies:

Leila's work:

Things like these bracelets, while not having a lot of detail, will surely sell quickly and to a wide variety of people. I personally felt that what Leila had done was quite intelligent though also simple. What she produced could easily be wholesaled as a fashion line, if she desired. There are a lot of color choices and a number of themes.

Marica's line will appeal to the trendy Boho crowd and is extremely well thought out and well done. Again, if she had the desire, this line could EASILY be marketed to boutiques in tourist areas....and she would do extremely well with it:

Pamela Anger's (Novegatti Jewelry) soft and pretty line combining filigree and handmade polymer clay flowers would have a strong gift line appeal. She would do well at small shows, home parties, and also online! Her jewelry would also do well in a wholesale showroom, represented by a company that presents lines to shops.

All three of these lines are ready to be built into expansive collections that may go as far these these designer would ever care to go....if the desire to do it is there.

We were still searching, however, for our rookie! We wanted someone who went completely outside their normal skill set, normal style, and made the new ideas work.....as well as potential to grow.

Though others had more experience building the types of lines they had created, we just kept coming back time and again to SUSAN BOWERMAN, from WOODSIDE WIREWORKS.

Susan's look could go gift or fashion, could be layered, could be collected.

The combination of the silver and rose ox metal will make a great statement while blending beautifully with many skin tones. It will also appeal to people who like a classy but trendy look, and the look of precious metal without the price.

EVERYTHING Susan did was outside of her standard skill set. She has been a jewelry maker for many years, known for her beautifully beaded, chunky statement pieces. She was never one to let metal be the focus and she did not need to this time, either. She herself decided to do the ultimate challenge by jumping through a new window.

Susan is going through some challenging times right now, but so are many who participated in this class. Let it be said that she won ON MERIT ONLY. Merit is the ONLY way to be fair to all OR fair to the new designer. If it was not for MERIT, our time as judges would have also been a waste of time.

Again, the choice was gut wrenching because we had so very many extremely talented artisans in this class.

Congratulations to Susan, but congratulations to all of you who challenged YOURSELVES to enter new territory and decide what works best for you---be you hobbyist, maker or designer.

PLEASE REMEMBER: All three are honorable and no one is better than the other! These are simply terms that describe how big your dream is....and that's all they are, in my book. No term implies more skill or more important than the other.

It's all about what YOU want it to be.

In parting, I'd just like it to be said that I feel I was the biggest winner of all.

My goal in offering my past experiences as a guide for those who wanted to try something new, was the hope of becoming a better teacher. I also hoped to help ones to see the need to pull their work together because I have been seeing a lot of work that is great, but it's just all over the place. My own work can tend to do that! No one is immune! We are all just bombarded with so many new ideas daily. The trick is to find and use the inspiration that speaks our own voice.....and creates a brand.

Just as I have created a brand as a components business that focuses on unique, quality goods.

I thank you participants for allowing me to be your teacher, to express my viewpoints and to learn from you about expectations.

I need a little rest.....but! I can't wait to do this again.....or to see what comes NEXT....FOR YOU.

Thanks again to Tammy Adams of the Paisley Lizard, for designing our badges.

March 19, 2015

The Build a Line Master Class Challenge has been about possibilities from the beginning.

Although our participants were only required to do five cohesive pieces in theme, meet the blog hop dates and participate as much as possible on our Classroom Page, many have indeed begun to see far beyond the original premise and into the future.

That's why there's so much truth to this quote by President Theodore Roosevelt:

At the same time, while ideas were in abundance, toward the end some were beginning to flag a bit. One gal said to me when I put this quote on a Facebook page, yeah, but the second half is the killer!

I know this was a tough one to meet. Just like Evie the cat, sometimes I just wanted to go and lie down and pass out!

The fact is for the greater part of a decade, I'd lived this life. I had a large collection and many store accounts. I had taken my little crafts show ideas to the limit and made the B'sue Boutiques brand. Thus, I knew the things that I told the participants would work. They truly are basic business principles for getting ahead in selling ANY sort of product.

At the same time, for me, writing good class notes and making them plain for everyone was daunting. Many of the ideas presented were completely new to so many in the group!

I did feel a bit vindicated when via research, participants discovered websites on business that corroborated my process does work and is rather basic. BUT.... WHO KNEW? Personally, I just sort of fell into it and figured it out as I went along.

I'm so glad these excellent artists jumped in with me and as a class team, they learned new things about the business of craft...and about themselves. They also helped me discover better ways to present information and to answer their questions.

Due to life circumstances not everyone was able to make it all the way to the finish line with all of their projects, but no one has dropped out for the final post. That means a whole lot to me. It says they still are imagining....and that the dream is still there.

The fact remains:

YET: sometimes there is a time in life that is best to pursue a goal, other times, we simply have to settle for guarding the flame and keeping our dream alive. Keep moving forward, hone your skills and challenge yourself in small ways, taking small steps. Each one must design what is best for them, their lifestyle, and their aspirations.

Some dream big, some dream small. It does NOT matter....so long as you continue to dream!

But you might be asking: Why was this class so draining for both students AND instructor?

In the end, we covered FAR MORE than the basic requirements. We talked about:

1. how to bring your line together

2. how the fashion industry, like it or not, DOES figure into your success....and how you don't have to follow it as much as be AWARE of it:

(a little humor from Marica Zammit, a member of the class)

3. Color theory as it applies to people----not Pantone (a la COLOR ME BEAUTIFUL style theory of what colors play best on most skin colors)

4. Listening to customer requests and taking a long hard look at what we are doing....are we designing for ourselves, or are we designing for our customer? (There should be a balance of both---and it's elusive at times)

A pyramid graph found by class member, Elizabeth Hildreth. This one actually has an extra step beyond the ones discussed.

6. The difference between an artisan hobbyist, a jewelry maker and a jewelry designer

7. Actually putting the right prices for profit on our work

8. The difference between cheapening or 'dumbing down' designs for the impulse pricepoints....and streamlining them while maintaining quality

I once took a class wherein it was stressed that the difference between high end pieces and lesser priced lines is the FINISH work. This may hold true especially for handmade goods as well as finely tailored designer couture and high end jewelry worked in precious metal. Yet lower priced lines still should have competent finish work and quality components that will last....if you want customers to return.

9. The subject of quality and why quality components and quality workmanship go hand in hand

10. We talked about how lines become collections. Briefly we discussed WHAT IF you sold a collection to a store, what next? We also mentioned making lines with a core for customization, as well as being reproduceable.

Below is an illustration made by Tammy Adams, another class member, as she tried to think how she might group lines into a collection:

These are really only the first ten things I can think of, off the top of my head. Believe me....THERE WERE A LOT MORE!

In this last and final round, the participants will reveal their final lines, talk about their plans and where all the information they took in fits into their lives.

Some intend to go for the brass ring, others have enjoyed learning about new ideas but are unsure.

Still others have found the greatest thing they've learned is that they are content where they are, doing things as they were.

All appreciated that they need to spend a bit more time on their online shops and show displays. Honestly, I can tell you: that's a CONSTANT process, you never get done making improvements!

They also realized they could better their keyword and photo presentation skills for greater success. There was also talk regarding the need to be more disciplined in getting the work done, and pieces listed.

I hope you will take time to read all the posts, even if you find you must do it incrementally. Where possible, please leave an encouraging comment for the participants who have worked so hard.

Our class will go on for a few more weeks before we are officially finished. A winner will be chosen based on finale posts by our panel of judges, and announced March 31. There will also be a random winner chosen among all those who finished the work.

I've for some time noticed that we have member-artists who have richly enjoyed tackling every new technique and idea that came down the mixed media pike for jewelry making!

Many were very good at each new concept and the work was GREAT!

BUT:

As we went along, I noticed that only SOME settled in on a design field. Those who did, built on a look that was singular, a style that was solid, identifiable, and in a number of price ranges. Their work was also SELLING.

One example I can show you, would be my pal Beanzie of The Vintage Heart:

Beanz' style is identifiable as she mixes old with new vintage, loves guilloche enamels....and when she can't get enough of THEM, she paints her own look in tole strokes:

Her branding is the watermark that appears on all her photos when the items are for sale (The Vintage Heart), a lovely script logo.....and the gorgeous, muted staging of the photos she takes of the items for sale.

Her look has a twist of Shabby Chic and she gravitates to sweet, pleasant pastel color palettes.

We two are good friends and go back quite some time. I kept trying to get Beanzie to try some new concepts, but she's always been a bit resistant. Finally, I stopped cajoling her. It wasn't necessary!! She HAD her look. It was cohesive, identifiable, and it looked like the same person made all the pieces. She could take the skills she already had and kick them up a notch when necessary (as when she began to paint on B'sue Boutiques spoon findings, or vintage skeleton keys she had collected)......or work in theme, when asked to do so.

Even though her pieces tend to be one of a kind, you always know they are The Vintage Heart. The theme aspect of hearts and flowers is one that will never go out of style. Charm bracelets are her specialty.

Charm bracelets are TIMELESS. The bracelets go for a pretty penny, but Beanz also has pieces for 12-25.00 in her offerings, as well. She's got it covered.

Another artist who shares with us at the B'sue Boutiques Creative Group at Facebook is Janet Wilson of ChickieGirl Designs at Etsy. She has a style that is uniquely her own.

This is a line of earrings that Janet made in limited edition. They are all different colors, yet all the same, using the same paint technique.

and sometimes filigree from B'sue Boutiques which she manipulates around a bit of decoupaged polymer clay or wood that she has painted in her signature style. Sometimes, she will layer the brass pieces, and each layer will have a different color that all co-ordinates.

When I see Janet's pieces.....I don't even need to see the logo. I know they are ChickieGirl by Janet Wilson!

Once upon a time, I, too, had a very cohesive line of many pieces of jewelry. Myself and seven artisan helpers produced a gift line of eventually 300 pieces!---which was sold back in the 90's to about 500 store accounts. As a gift line, our clientele consisted mostly of small boutiques, florists, hospital gift shoppes, small theme catalogues (Burpee Seed Catalogue, Parker Button Company) military PX's, and tourist gift shops. We also sold to a few small department stores that were local to their respective areas. Our work was also photographed and featured in magazines like COUNTRY LIVING.

Most of the pieces were simple charm styles that didn't take a lot of effort to put together....but our best-seller was a crowd-pleaser that could be custom engraved many different ways. We had Grandma, Mom, Sister, Secret Pal, Friends Forever, Teacher, Nurse....I could go on and on.

I haven't made a piece of that line since about the time this last catalog (shown) was published, and the last show I did with it was in 2001. I grew tired of it, I guess. The gift industry had changed. It still sold like hotcakes at retail shows, but I was ready to move on into the world of one of a kind's!

Like this piece....which has a certain look reminiscent of the old line...but is over the top:

Yes, those pieces in the center are EARRINGS, not brooches! Rather large, LOL

I recall that this was a custom-built mother of the bride set. I got a nice piece of change for it.....but stuff like this NEVER paid the bills like that little old line of so many diverse pieces done in theme. I actually went back to selling vintage jewelry again, along with my one of a kind pieces, to keep going!

THEN....I decided, hey. I taught those girls to make my line, why couldn't I sell parts and teach people to make jewelry?

In 1997, even before I stopped making this line.....I began to do that very thing on the internet, with the introduction of my very first website.

TODAY, my line looks like this:

BEAUTIFUL components and findings made from historic dies and jewelry tooling here in the United States, with lovely nickel free designer finishes on them! This is Old Rose Ox, which is a departure from the standard dark antique copper finishes and is more of a dark rose gold with a subtle antique and slight shine.

We also have a unique brass ox finish with a black antique to make the design pop!, rusty black patina brass which is a one of a kind interactive finish with a chocolate-black top and fused copper inner layer that can be distressed to a turn...

(There are over 140 free instructional videos at the B'sue Boutiques Channel at You Tube)

We also have Silverware Silverplate, which is a lovely FINE SILVER finish, 99.9% pure silver three mils thick over the brass, nickel free. We have Satin Matte Gold, which is 18 karat gold plating in matte, muted, soft. We have aqua copper patina brass which is teal patina over dark antique copper, and we have matte black. YEP, THAT'S MY LINE these days!

So....like many of my fellow artists at the group, I find myself floundering with lots of techniques when I go back to making jewelry....instead of being true to myself, finding my own look, and making pieces that, while true to who I AM, appeal to a broader base of people. I'd like to go back to selling more jewelry along with my brass!

AND THAT is what this challenge is all about....making jewelry is true to the artist and yet! can sell, at least in part, in impulse price ranges. It's about crafting a line of handmade artisan jewelry that goes together, and looks like it was all made by the same hand, reigning in the design techniques and staying specific.

WILL THESE GIFTED LADIES follow their hearts and do what they always have done, and find that it needed no adaptation......or will they combine the styles and techniques that work best for them and give them a slight twist to to include a broader base of possible buyers?

Can they BUILD A LINE of cohesive pieces that go together that speak their own creative voice, yet are affordable and wearable?

Being honest, I really am not entirely sure how I fell upon all the concepts for my 90's line. I DO know it was a process, and not something that happened overnight.

And I do know I still know how to do it:

I made this piece a few weeks ago using many of the same elements I used in the line from the 90's! I was happy to say, I could still make the piece in about fifteen minutes and not be messy about it:

Here are the pieces I began with.....some are still sold at B'sue Boutiques, some I have always kept for myself:

During this series of three blog hops (this being the FIRST) I will be guiding the challenge class and learning how to *teach* the idea of building a line, considering your audience and growing your sales. I know how to do this, I understand all the concepts, pro and con. But I have never TAUGHT others to do develop, or build a line.

That's why this challenge class, although a master class guided by someone who mastered the idea and actually made a living selling her own design line of jewelry for the better part of a decade!....was FREE OF CHARGE.

We are all learning together! I will not be creating a new line with the others. I'll be concentrating on helping them find new potential among their treasure boxes of artistic gifts.

Just as it is so amazing to see what people do with the findings they purchase from us at B'sue Boutiques ....it will be fantastic to see what these 57 artists do with the guidance provided in the class.

Our next hop will be February 20th. Come back for more!

In between, I'll be posting updates on the challenge class, too.

Be sure to to visit each participant's blog and if possible, leave an encouraging comment! All of them have worked so hard! And if you would...